Golf Game

ABSTRACT

A game of golf deviates from USGA rules by use of a special marker that may be placed anywhere on a golf course, such as in a sand trap. A group of golfers initiate play from a location proximate the special marker. Play thereafter proceeds according to USGA rules until all players are on the putting green. Ball on the putting green are not marked and removed, but left in place where they can interfere with shots made by members of the group. Predetermined special events are associated with a reduction in points that are used to reduce the USGA score.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims benefit of priority to U.S. provisional patentapplication Ser. No. 62/757,344 filed Nov. 8, 2018, which is herebyincorporated by reference to the same extent as though fully replicatedherein.

BACKGROUND Field

The present disclosure pertains to the game of golf and, in particularto a game that is based upon modifications to the rules of golf.

Description of the Related Art

The rules of golf are well known to those who play the game. The rulesare substantially uniform where R&A based in St. Andrews, Scotland worksthrough the United States Golf Association (“USGA”) based in Far Hills,N.J. to administer the Rules in the United States, its territories andin Mexico. The R&A itself has the same responsibilities for other partsof the world. Accordingly, there is a worldwide collaborative effort tounify the rules of golf. The current version of the Rules of Golf is the33^(rd) Edition effective January 2016. Generally speaking, the rulescover a variety of topics from how to count strokes, what happens if aball is lost or resides in an unplayable lie, how to mark a ball on theputting green, and course etiquette.

Slight changes are made in the Rules of Golf from time to time. By wayof example, continuous putting was introduced to the Rules as anoptional Local Rule in 1966. This became a Rule in 1968, and wasrescinded from the Rules in 1970. It applied to single stroke play only,and essentially provided that once a player has begun putting on a holethey must continue putting until the ball is holed. There wasconsideration for the fact that this could mean a player would bestanding on a fellow competitor's putting line. A fellow competitorcould request to have the player's ball lifted and thus interrupt theircontinuous putting. Included within this Rule was a clause that onlyallowed a ball on the putting green to be lifted and cleaned prior tothe first putt. After striking the first putt, the ball could not belifted until it was holed (except as described in the exception above).This prohibition on lifting and cleaning applied to all forms of play,not just stroke play. It is currently a common practice to place amarker on the green so that there is no positional interference withanother player's ball.

Golf course committees now have an option to adopt a local ruleeliminating a penalty that was formerly assessed whenever a ball ormarker was accidentally moved on the putting green.

While golf traces its origins to 15^(th) century Scotland, the UnitedStates is by far the world's biggest market for golf. In the UnitedStates, golf adds an estimated $70 billion to the American economy. Evenso, golf is seemingly in decline. By way of example, in 2013 there werean estimated 14,600 golf facilities, and 160 of these closed. This wasthe eighth consecutive year of net closures. From 2006 to 2013 thenumber of people who played golf in the United States fell from about 30million to 25 million. A number of factors contribute to this declineand are believed to include: (1) people increasingly lack sufficienttime for devotion to play, (2) costs associated with playing golf, (3)design parameters making golf courses increasingly difficult to play,and (4) lack of current stars to ignite curiosity and respect where suchplayers as Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods do not have thepresence or prestige that they once held.

SUMMARY

The presently disclosed instrumentalities advance the art and overcomethe problems outlined above by modifying the Rules of Golf in a way thatdeviates from the official Rules. These modifications, which aredescribed below, are useful for their entertainment value, which isenhanced by providing an additional element of competition on theputting green. Moreover, various options provide for shortening theduration of play and simplifying play on difficult courses, all at thediscretion of individual players who need not necessarily submit thesechanges for approval by a committee or rulemaking body.

According to one embodiment, a game of golf includes selectivelypositioning a set of special markers. The set includes at least onespecial marker for each hole in a course of play that includes aplurality of holes. This may be, for example, a nine hole or eighteenhole course of play. Each hole has a tee area, a fairway and a puttinggreen hole. Each golfer in a group of golfers initiates play by strikinga ball with a golf club from a position proximate the special marker.Strokes are counted per USGA/R&A rules as the golfers in the groupcontinue play for the hole until all golfers in the group have landed aball on the putting green.

In one aspect, the golfers may deviate from established USGA rules byleaving all balls in place on the putting green without marking theposition of the balls. Play on the green commences serially with thegolfer whose ball on the putting green is located farthest from theputting green hole, allowing that golfer to putt the ball and thencommencing with the next farthest golfer until all golfers in the groupwho have not holed out have taken a stroke. Strokes for each player arecounted on the putting green to arrive at a USGA score. A revised scoreis determined by deducting from the USGA score a predetermined number ofpoints for special events that occur during the course of play for thehole. The above steps are repeated for each hole in the course of playto arrive at a cumulative score that is less than the USGA score.

In one aspect, each golfer may initiate play by dropping his or her ballin the same lie no further than two club lengths away from the specialmarker.

In one aspect, the special markers are not necessarily located in theconventional tee area of the hole. The special marker for any particularhole may be located, for example, in a sand trap, at a position on thefairway, or on the putting green.

In one aspect, one or more strokes taken by golfers on the putting greenmay purposefully interfere with a putt that is to be taken by asubsequent golfer. Interference may include positioning one's ball toblock a shot by the subsequent golfer or causing one's ball to strikethe subsequent golfer's ball.

In one aspect, the special events may include any number of eventsaccording to a schedule of points relating play events to point valueswhere better play results in a lower score, such as the schedule below:

(1) landing closest to the pin when initiating play from the specialmarker, −1 point;

(2) making a birdie from the special marker, −2 points;

(3) making par by play ninclu89dng a shot from a bunker, −1 point;

(4) holing out from a shot off of the putting green, −1 point;

(5) one-putting the putting green, −1 point;

(6) having the lowest USGA score for the hole, −1 point; and

(7) winning the 9^(th) hole by having the lowest USGA score for thathole, −3 points.

In keeping with the intended manner of play on the green, it ispreferred that the special markers used in the step of selectivelypositioning are constructed as oversize billiard balls. The balls arelightweight, hollow and oversize in the sense of having a diameter ofpreferably at least about 12 inches. The outer surface is decorated bypainting in the manner of a billiard ball. The billiard balls havenumbers corresponding to the number of a hole in a course of play. Wherethe course of play is nine holes, the billiard balls will be primarilysolids. For an eighteen hole course of play, balls having a numbergreater than 15 may be decorated in any manner.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a golf course including a plurality of holes that may beadapted for play by placement of set of special markers;

FIG. 2 shows a hole of the golf course;

FIG. 3 shows a tee area of the hole;

FIG. 4 shows a putting green of the hole during a course of playaccording to the instrumentalities described herein;

FIG. 5 shows the putting green in a sequential stage of play;

FIG. 6 shows the putting green in a sequential stage of play;

FIG. 7 shows the putting green in a sequential stage of play;

FIG. 8 shows one special marker constructed as a billiard ball;

FIG. 9 shows one special marker constructed as a billiard ball; and

FIG. 10 is a flow chart showing a process of playing golf.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 shows a golf course 100 that is provided by way of examplerepresenting any golf course that may be utilized in the play of golfaccording to the USGA Rules. A main road 102 provides access to the golfcourse 100, with entry through clubhouse 104. The clubhouse 104 maycontain a bar or ‘watering hole’ for a snack or after-play drinks, as iswell known in the art. The golf course 100 is formed of various holes,such as holes 106, 108, 110, and 112. Each hole includes a tee area, afairway and a putting green, as is known in the art. As shown in FIG. 1,there are a total of twenty-seven holes, which may be played indesignated courses of nine holes each, with selection of two such nonehole courses for a total of eighteen holes of golf. Cart paths 114, 116provide player access to the various holes. Different courses differ intheir design, number of holes, and local rules of play as authorized byR&A and the USGA.

FIG. 2 shows a hole 200 that may be utilized for the play of golfaccording to the instrumentalities described herein. A tee area 202 mayinclude, generally speaking, one or more tee position lines 204, 206,each associated with a degree of difficulty in making a tee shot. As isknown in the art, an area of relatively unmaintained grass or ‘rough’208, is present, as is a fairway 210 of mown grass. Various hazards areoptionally present by design, such as a water hazard or pond 212 and abunker or sand trap 214. A putting green 216 is specially maintained toprovide a smooth surface, and is provided with closely mown grass thatfacilitates putting activity which is performed with the intent ofplacing a golf ball in a hole indicated by pin 218.

FIG. 3 shows the tee area 202 in expanded detail. While the local rulesmay specify that players should tee-off from positions demarcated alonglines 204, 206, such as positions 300, 302, a special marker 304 isprovided to reposition the tee location. The special marker may be, forexample, an oversize billiard ball that can be rolled into positionanywhere on course 200. This position may be located in the rough 208,anywhere on fairway 210, in a hazard such as the sand trap 214, or evenon the putting green 216 (see FIG. 2). Thus, the special marker 304 maybe selectively repositioned by a group including one or more playersaccording to the desires of the group. Alternatively, the special marker304 may be arbitrarily positioned for particular use by all groups in atournament or other course of competitive play. In yet anotheralternative, course management may selectively reposition the specialmarker 304 at different times to provide variety when playing aparticular hole. A set of special markers 304 may be utilized, each ondifferent ones of the holes 106, 108, 110, 112, to provide a course ofplay that may include any number of holes but preferably includes amultiple of nine holes.

Table 1 below shows the proposed modifications to the Rules of Golfaccording the instrumentalities provided herein. The rules provide for asocial golf game blending traditional golf scoring with shots that putsa unique spin on scoring and playing golf. The game helps sharpen shortskills by preferentially rewarding those who make ‘short game’ shotswith improved scoring. The following rules may be used in anycombination.

TABLE 1 Instructions for Modified Rules of Golf 1. Have Fun. Enjoy thegame, friends and comradery. Walking is encouraged. 2. Each player getstwo scores for each hole: (1) your traditional score by countingthenumber of strokes on the hole, and (2) your “Deduction Points”. Mark thetop part of the box for each hole with your traditional score and thebottom part of the box for each hole with your Deduction Points. 3. Youstart each hole from “The Ball”, the oversized billiard ball which canbelocated anywhere on the hole. Play your tee shot from The Ball bydropping your golfball in the same lie no further than two club lengthsaway from The Ball and no closer to the green. If The Ball is in thesand trap you must drop in the trap. 4. Each player gets DeductionPoints for each type of shot executed on that hole; a player can earnmultiple Deduction Points on one hole according to the followingschedule of points: Type of Shot Shot Name Points Closest to the Pinfrom The Ball “Closest To Pin” −1 Birdie from The Ball “Oh Yea” −2 Parfrom a bunker “Sandy” −1 Up and Down from off green “The B” −1 Hole outoff green “The W” −2 One putt “Dunker” −1 Winner of Each Hole “Got One”−1 Winner of the 9^(th) hole “Last Chance” −3 5. All players shall play“Stymies” on the greens. To play Stymies means that balls on the greensare to be left in place and played in the order of the farthest from thehole going first and each time thereafter until all balls are holed out.The intent is to use your ball, if necessary, to impede the nextplayer's shot. Any ball struck by an opponent's ball will be playedwhere they both stop until holed out. 6. If teams are played, scoringcan either be team combined total score or best ball for each team. 7.At the end of the round, add up your traditional score and add up yourDeduction Points. Your score for the game is determined by deductingfrom your traditional score your Deduction Points. For example, if yourUSGA score is 40 and you had −10 Deduction Points your net score wouldbe 30. Lowest score is the winner of the game.

FIG. 4 shows the putting green 216 in a state that is ready to commenceplaying stymies according to Rule 5 of Table 1. The putting green 216has a playing surface 400 and a hole 402, as are known in the art. Allplayers in a group of four such players have advanced onto the puttinggreen 216 by play according to the Rule of Golf in a course of play forany particular hole that proceeds from the location of special marker304 to the putting green 216. In this state, each player of the grouphas a respectively corresponding golf ball located at one of positions404, 406, 408, 410. This play differs from the normal rules of golf inthat the players do not place a marker at the position of their ball,rather, play is conducted with all balls in place as they lie on thesurface 400 of putting green 216.

A golfer with his or her ball in the location 410 is farthest from hole402. Therefore, this player putts first. This player has a choice tohole out by putting to cause the golf ball from location 410 to enterhole 402, as would be the natural desire when playing according theRules of Golf in unmodified form. Under the Rules of Table 1, however,this same player may seek advantage by putting, instead, to position theball to present an obstacle to other players with balls resident atlocations 406, 408. Accordingly, this player may putt to reposition theball at location 414, where it interferes with the path of traveltowards hole 402 from each of locations 406, 408.

With the first ball formerly at location 410 repositioned to position414, the player with the ball at location 404 is now furthest from thehole. This player also has a choice of holing out or attempting tointerfere with the play of others. As shown in FIG. 5, this player puttsalong arc 502 to reposition the ball from location 404 to location 500where the ball interferes with putting from each of positions 406, 408,414.

As shown in FIG. 6, a player with the ball at position 408 is the nextin turn because this ball is farthest from hole 402. This player has ashot that is blocked by the ball at location 414, and so the playerputts along arc 600 to strike the ball at position 414. Due to theresulting impact, the respective balls travel to new locations 602, 604.The next farthest ball from hole 402 is then the ball at location 406.This player is able to putt along arc 700 (see FIG. 7) so that, with abreak in the green, the ball enters hole 402. Play proceeds in thismanner until all players have holed out, and then the group advances tothe next hole.

Scoring proceeds with one point per stroke, counted as one would scorewhen playing USGA golf. Deduction Points are assessed pursuant to item 4of Table 1, which reduces the score. Thus, for example, the player withthe ball at location 406, as shown in FIG. 4, could receive threeDeduction Points—one for being closest to the pin from the specialmarker 304, one for one-putting the green, and one for being the winnerof this hole. These Deduction Points are deducted from the USGA score.Deduction Points may be determined utilizing any number of the eventsdescribed in item 4 of Table 1. For example, groups may play using one,two, three, four, five, six or all of the events there described.

FIG. 8 shows a special marker 304A according to one embodiment. Thespecial marker 304A is constructed as an oversize billiard ball,connoting the use of stymies on the green. The special marker 304A mayhave, for example, a diameter of at least about twelve inches, eighteeninches or twenty-four inches. Special marker 304A is preferably formedas a hollow ball with the outer wall made of a hard material, such assteel, aluminum or plastic. As shown, the special marker 304A isdecorated as a “solid” billiard ball where surface 800 is paintedpurple. A circle 802 is painted white and contains the numeral “4” oranother suitable number and coloring system according to that ordinarilyutilized for solid billiard balls. Special marker 304A is over-coatedwith a protective layer, such as a glossy polyurethane.

FIG. 9 shows a special marker 304B according to one embodiment. Thespecial marker 304A is constructed as an oversize billiard ball,connoting the use of stymies on the putting green. Special marker 304Bis preferably a hollow ball with the outer wall made of a hard material,such as steel, aluminum or plastic. As shown, the special marker 304B isdecorated as a “stripe” billiard ball where surfaces 900, 902 and 904are painted white. A surface 904 contains the numeral “9.” A stripe 906is painted yellow in keeping with the color scheme for billiard balls.Special markers 304, A, 304B are preferably over-coated with aprotective layer, such as a glossy polyurethane.

Table 2 below provides a color scheme for billiard balls. It will beappreciated that the conventional count only goes up to 15, and so anycolor may be used in association with balls having a number higher than15. The numbers on the balls identify the hole number for a course thatis played according to the rules described herein.

TABLE 2 Color Scheme Stripe or Numeral Solid Color 1 Solid Yellow 2Solid Blue 3 Solid Red 4 Solid Purple 5 Solid Orange 6 Solid Green 7Solid Maroon 8 Solid Black 9 Stripe Yellow 10 Stripe Blue 11 Stripe Red12 Stripe Purple 13 Stripe Orange 14 Stripe Green 15 Stripe Maroon 16Any pattern Any color 17 Any pattern Any color 18 Any pattern Any color

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a process 1000 for playing golf accordingto the instrumentalities described herein. The course of play isarranged by selectively positioning 1002 a set of special markers, suchas markers 304, 304A, 304B. This positioning may be done by coursemanagement, or else a group of golfers may decide where to position themarker for a particular hole. While positioning the special markers inthe traditional tee area of a hole of golf is not precluded, the specialmarkers are preferably located away from the tee area for each hole.Suitable positioning may include, for example, positioning in a bunkeror sand trap, on the fairway within a chip shot of the putting green, oron the putting green. The ability to initiate play from anywhere on thehole may advantageously shorten the duration of play while presentinggolfers with new and interesting lies.

Each golfer in a group of golfers approaches the special marker anddrops his or her ball in the same lie within a predetermined distance,such as two club lengths from the special marker and no closer to thehole, to position the ball. Play is then initiated 1004 by the firstgolfer taking a stroke. Play continues according to USGA rules until allgolfers have landed 1006 a ball on the putting green. A deviation 1008from the rules is made because the balls are left in place on theputting green without marking the balls as would happen otherwise perUSGA rules.

Starting with the golfer whose ball is farthest from the pin, thegolfers take turns 1010 by putting or other types of strokes. In thismanner it is possible to add a dimension of fun by interfering with theplay of another golfer by use of blocking shots or striking shots, asdiscussed above. Each golfer takes a stroke in turn and then the cyclebegins anew starting with the golfer who is farthest from the hole untilall golfers have holed out 1012 with an associated USGA score. Pointsmay be calculated on an individual basis or a team basis where thepoints for a particular team are optionally (1) accumulated for theteam, or (2) accumulated as the lowest individual score for any teammember on a particular hole. Points are then deducted 1014 according tothe schedule of events in step 4 of Table 1.

This manner of play is repeated 1016 for each hole in the course ofplay.

Those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the foregoingdiscussion teaches by way of example and not be limitation. Accordingly,what is shown and described may be subjected to insubstantial changewithout departing from the scope and spirit of invention. The inventorshereby state their intention to rely upon the Doctrine of Equivalents,if needed, in protecting their full rights in the invention.

We claim:
 1. A game of golf played by a method comprising the steps of:selectively positioning a set of special markers including at least onespecial marker for each hole in a course of play that includes aplurality of holes, each hole having a tee area, a fairway and a puttinggreen hole; permitting each golfer in a group of golfers to initiateplay by striking a ball with a golf club from a position proximate thespecial marker; counting strokes per United States Golf Association(“USGA”) rules as the golfers in the group continue play for the holeuntil all golfers in the group have landed a ball on the putting green;deviating from USGA rules by leaving all balls in place on the puttinggreen without marking the position of the balls; once each member of thegroup has a ball on the putting green, commencing serially with thegolfer whose ball on the putting green is located farthest from theputting green hole, allowing that golfer to putt the ball and thencommencing with the next farthest golfer until all golfers in the groupwho have not holed out have taken a stroke; counting strokes for eachplayer on the putting green to arrive at a USGA score; deducting fromthe USGA score a predetermined number of points for special events thatoccur during the course of play for the hole; and repeating the abovesteps for each hole in the course of play to arrive at a cumulativescore that is less than the USGA score.
 2. The game of golf according toclaim 1, wherein the step of permitting each golfer to initiate playincludes positioning the ball by dropping the ball in the same lie nofurther than two club lengths away from the special marker.
 3. The gameof golf according to claim 1, wherein the step of specially positioningincludes placing at least one special marker in a sand trap.
 4. The gameof golf according to claim 1, wherein one or more strokes taken bygolfers during the step of commencing serially purposefully interfereswith a putt that is to be taken by a subsequent golfer.
 5. The game ofgolf according to claim 4, wherein interference with the putt includespositioning a golf ball to block a shot by the subsequent golfer.
 6. Thegame of golf according to claim 4, wherein interference with the puttincludes causing a ball to strike the ball of the subsequent golfer. 7.The game of golf according to claim 1, wherein the special eventsinclude one or more events selected from the group consisting of: (1)landing closest to the pin when initiating play from the special marker,(2) making a birdie from the special marker, (3) making par by playninclu89dng a shot from a bunker, (4) holing out from a shot off of theputting green, (5) one-putting the putting green, (6) having the lowestUSGA score for the hole, and (6) winning the 9^(th) hole by having thelowest USGA score for that hole.
 8. The game of golf according to claim7 wherein the special events include at least three events selected fromthe group.
 9. The game of golf according to claim 7 wherein the specialevents include all events from the group.
 10. The game of golf accordingto claim 7, wherein the events are associated with points assessed asfollows: (1) landing closest to the pin when initiating play from thespecial marker, −1 point; (2) making a birdie from the special marker,−2 points; (3) making par by play ninclu89dng a shot from a bunker, −1point; (4) holing out from a shot off of the putting green, −1 point;(5) one-putting the putting green, −1 point; (6) having the lowest USGAscore for the hole, −1 point; and (7) winning the 9^(th) hole by havingthe lowest USGA score for that hole, −3 points.
 11. The game of golfaccording to claim 1, wherein the special markers used in the step ofselectively positioning are constructed as oversize billiard balls. 12.A set of special markers for use in golf, comprising: a plurality ofballs, each having a hollow core, a diameter of at least twelve inches;and an outer surface decorated in the manner of a billiard ball, theouter surface including indicia in the form of a number associated witha hole number for a course of play.
 13. The set of special markersaccording to claim 10, wherein the plurality of balls include a mix ofstripes and solids.
 14. The set of special markers according to claim10, wherein the plurality of balls are primarily solids.